Pato O'Ward has accomplished almost everything a driver can ask for in the NTT IndyCar SERIES. He boasts 12 career victories, finished among the top five in the championship six times across his seven full-time seasons, secured a career-best second in the standings in 2025, and twice finished as the runner-up in the Indianapolis 500. Yet, an Indianapolis 500 victory and an NTT IndyCar SERIES championship continue to elude the popular Mexican driver. He is getting closer to both, however.
Following a fourth-place finish in the 2026 championship, O'Ward added three victories, 10 top-five finishes, and 11 top-10 results to his résumé. He closed the campaign with an especially strong run, sweeping both races at Milwaukee Mile and claiming three top-five finishes in the final five events. Despite those numbers, O'Ward admitted the year had unusual moments. "It was a bit of an odd one," he said, adding that he felt very confused while trying to find a direction on his own island.
Arrow McLaren still produced an impressive campaign, with Christian Lundgaard finishing third in the standings and O'Ward fourth. Only Alex Palou of Chip Ganassi Racing and Kyle Kirkwood of Andretti Global finished ahead of the Arrow McLaren duo. To improve, O'Ward and the team are digging deep into data this offseason, aiming to convert those top-five finishes into podiums. The organization is fully committed to helping O'Ward, surrounding him with three Indy 500-winning teammates and seven combined championships.
Arrow McLaren did not retain Lundgaard or Nolan Siegel, who served as O'Ward's teammates over the past two seasons. Lundgaard had placed in the top five in points in each of the last two seasons and won two races this past year, but the team brought back Felix Rosenqvist and added six-time NTT IndyCar SERIES champion Scott Dixon as replacements. Rosenqvist returns following a three-year stint with Arrow McLaren from 2021-23, during which he and O'Ward became close friends, and most recently drove for Meyer Shank Racing, where he won the 110th Running of the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge.
Meanwhile, Dixon brings a résumé no current driver in the series can match, featuring 59 career IndyCar SERIES victories, six championships, and a 2008 Indianapolis 500 win. Ryan Hunter-Reay also returns to the team for a second consecutive year as an Indy 500-only participant, having claimed the 2012 championship and the 2014 Indianapolis 500. Team principal Tony Kanaan called 2026 the best season in team history, pointing to highlights like their move into the new McLaren Racing Center in Indianapolis, Lundgaard's win at the Indy GP, and O'Ward's historic back-to-back wins in a single day at Milwaukee.
Kanaan views the 2026 season not as a peak, but as a foundation for something bigger with O'Ward at the center. The team principal noted that winning is addicting and emphasized that they are still building, developing, and racing for more wins. With O'Ward, Dixon, and Rosenqvist bringing nearly unmatched experience, the squad is working hard to hit the ground running in St. Pete next March, locked in on making a statement at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that ends with milk.
